$20,000 Scholarships will be awarded to Non-Published Authors

January 25, 2024, Denver, Colorado. The Colorado Authors' Hall of Fame (the Hall) will offer up to five $2,000 scholarships to aspiring Colorado authors and authors-to-be. The scholarship is part of its commitment to encourage, support, and nurture Colorado connected writers.

Sponsored by the Colorado Authors' Hall of Fame, the first Inductees were welcomed for Induction to the Hall at a gala event in 2019. Celebrated in odd-numbered years, an additional 16 Inductees were celebrated with 220 in attendance at a dinner event in 2021. The Hall's Board voted to create up to five Aspiring Authors Scholarships to be awarded in even-numbered years.

Scholarship awards will range up to $2,000 each plus the opportunity to participate in an extensive 12-month mentoring program to move them toward author success. Total value of the scholarship is $20,000 to each recipient.

Applications must be received by March 31, 2024, and the winning recipients will be announced in early August. Recipients will be honored at a luncheon event to be held on Friday, September 16, 2024.

Applications and additional information are available of the Colorado Authors' Hall of Fame website: http://ColoradoAuthorsHallofFame.org/scholarships.html

The Colorado Authors' Hall of Fame Scholarship is open to applicants who:

 

• are over 20
• are legal Colorado residents
• have a desire to succeed as an author and in the field of publishing
• must include a sampling of their already written work of at least 20 pages and an essay of why they want to become an author.

Part of the application process will include writing an essay of up to 1,000 words on the topic: "Why I Want to Write and Become an Author" along with how they intend on using the moneys. Essays will be evaluated for excellence of writing, creativity, and yes, grammar by a panel of judges consisting of bookstore owners, librarians and published authors.

Of the five recipients of the first scholarships in 2022, three have published their books.

The scholarships were envisioned by founder of the Hall, Dr. Judith Briles. She shares, "Writing and publishing a book is like climbing one of our Rocky Mountain 'fourteeners'. It requires years of preparation, unbelievable stamina and courage. Facing that blank page is like starting an ascent. When you reach the top by completing the book, authors can suddenly see farther than ever before. This vision from the pinnacle is the gift authors give their readers. Now, the Hall would like to give a gift back to Colorado's authors who desire to reach the publishing summit. Their impact on countless readers in providing entertainment, enlightenment and solutions is immeasurable."

The Hall is dedicated to recognizing and preserving the history of the accomplishments of past and present authors who have created and published books in or about Colorado.

The organization is an all-volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Its mission is "to honor and promote the works of outstanding published authors from all genres and generations with a vibrant connection to Colorado, to ensure their legacies will not be lost."

0Information about the application process, nomination criteria for Hall Inductees, donations, events, board members can all be found at www.ColoradoAuthorsHallofFame.org.

Press inquiries: Judith Briles, Judith@Briles.com or 303-885-2207.